Friction between interacting surfaces of machinery, particularly machinery operating at elevated temperatures and having interacting parts, is a major cause of power consumption and wear. The reduction of friction is a major goal for improving fuel efficiency and for lowering power consumption and wear. For example, friction resulting from interacting surfaces in automobiles and other vehicles accounts for about one third of the total fuel consumed. Also, for wind turbines, up to one quarter of operating and maintenance costs are due to replacement of worn equipment. One approach for reducing friction resulting from interacting surfaces of machinery is the use of low coefficient of friction coatings on such interacting surfaces. The application of low coefficient of friction coatings on interacting machine parts during manufacturing of the machine is difficult, if not impossible, because it requires that interacting parts be coated prior to assembly into the final product. Conventional coatings used to provide low coefficients of friction typically have a micron size grain structure as opposed to a nano-size grain structure. One such conventional coating is a diamond coating that is expensive to implement into conventional manufacturing processes. In addition, conventional coating processes do not result in coatings that are capable of preserving the designed clearances between interacting surfaces.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for coatings that will provide: a low coefficient of friction between interacting surfaces; will preserve designed clearances between interacting surfaces; have superior wear properties, and that are cost effective to apply.